Release Date: 1965

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BeoLit 500 (1965)

Bang & Olufsen Beolit 500 1965

In the 1960’s, small, transistorised radios became extremely popular. This was a result of miniaturisation of electronics products. The world leaders on the road to miniaturisation as we know it today, were the Japanese. Bang & Olufsen eager to come up with its own idea of making products smaller, designed its own transistorised radio: the Beolit 500.

An FM transistor set, entirely without dial, with push-button selection of up to five pre-tunable stations. The Beolit 500 has a large high-performance speaker, a telescopic FM whip, jacks for tape recorder, gramophone and extension speaker, automatic frequency control, and good battery economy. An attractive extra feature: the Beolit 500 can be used as an intercom system. Dimensions: 76 mm high, 264 mm wide, 191 mm deep. Choice of teak or Brazilian rosewood finish. Not available in the UK.

Beolit 500, type 1101 is one of those so-called ‘transistor radios’ – a small portable radio that could be carried around. However, Bang & Olufsen worked on the assumption that these small ‘portable’ radios were most often stationary. As well as an FM radio receiver, Beolit 500 could be used as an intercom via an extra loudspeaker (that it could also be adapted to receive police radio communications by short-circuiting a couple of switches was an entertaining, but unintentional side-effect).

Sockets for an external 7.5V power supply (via Beopower 600) and a tape recorder were fitted.

Beolit 500 won the iF Design Award in 1966.

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BeoGram 1000

Bang & Olufsen BeoGram 1000

superbly designed, tastefully styled

The turntable and overall design was by Jacob Jensen; the tonearm and MMC cartridge principle was by Erik Rørbæk Madsen. Beogram 1000 was the recommended turntable for Beomaster 1000.

The First Beogram?

Beogram 1000 was the very first Bang & Olufsen turntable to be designated with the suffix ‘Beogram’. Before its introduction, earlier decks did not, strictly speaking, hold this product name.

This player has extremely low vibration and rumble – a decisive feature for playback of stereo gramophone records, due to the fact that the stylus must be sensitive to vibrations in all directions.

The Beogram 1000 has antimicrophonic suspension that takes up acoustic and mechanical vibrations from the support and prevents the stylus from leaving the groove. In practice, this means that mechanical vibrations from the support or from persons walking or dancing in front of the Beogram 1000 cannot make the stylus jump in the groove. Such vibrations will be absorbed in the antimicrophonic suspension and will not reach the turntable or the pickup.

Equipped with the world-famous B&O ST/L-15 pickup unit; heavy turntable designed as a stroboscope disc; built-in hydraulically damped pickup lift operating y means of a rocker button. Specially engineered speed selector (78, 45 and 33.3 rpm); built-in special centre insert for 45 rpm records. The Beogram 1000 is available in two versions: Beogram 1000V (for 240/110 volts AC) and Beogram 1000VF (for 240/110 volts AC with built-in preamplifier.

Choice of teak or Brazilian rosewood finish and with a practical transparent acrylic dust cover.

And so ends the brochure speak! The Beogram 1000 was heavily based on earlier decks and, despite what B&O said, was not that resistant to external forces. It also was not able to be played with the lid on and indeed the lid had a cut out at the back to allow the pick arm to protrude. It allowed reasonable play back and was reliable but performance led to B&O looking elsewhere for a turntable for the Beolab 5000 system.

Mounting Options

Wall Bracket / Shelf for BeoGram

A universal shelf that will support all Bang & Olufsen turntables from the past 30 years. Including three cable entry points to allow you to bring cables from below the shelf or through the wall.